WWE Power Rankings: Rock takes top spot

What’s the point of having a WWE Hall of Fame if you’re not going to include “Macho Man” Randy Savage? To me, Savage is top 10 all-time, no question, and with Savage’s rare mix of athleticism and showmanship, you can even make the argument that he’s one of the top five acts the business has ever seen.

“The tower of power, too sweet to be sour, funky like a monkey, oh yeah!”

The Rock rises to the top of our rankings after defeating CM Punk at the Royal Rumble. Courtesy of WWE

So many classic “dig it” moments and matches etched in time, from Steamboat vs. Savage at Wrestlemania III (still my personal favorite), to the ongoing feud between Savage and Hogan (be a man!), to his trademark pose while perched on the top rope as he hyped up the crowd before dropping the flying elbow. When I think of the most colorful characters professional wrestling has to offer, I instantly think of Randy Savage (and I didn’t even get to the cowboy hats and sequins).

It’s funny because when I think about the first time I met the intense superstar, backstage before a WCW pay-per-view at the Cow Palace, he was all business talking wrestling (he attempted to stare through me with his intimidating eyes). But when I brought up his minor league days playing catcher in the Cardinals, Reds and White Sox organizations, that’s when I felt I got my first true glimpse of the man behind the persona.

“Hitting curveballs can be brutal,” he said, throwing in a trademark “oh yeah” at the end with a wide grin.

“That’s when I knew I’d be better off hitting people for a living.

“But I loved every second playing baseball; every teammate, every bus ride, every game. It was one of the best times of my life.”

Savage died in 2011, but his memory lives on every time CM Punk climbs to the top rope and points to the sky before dropping one of Savage’s patented elbows.

From today’s Best in the World to the man who could’ve originated the phrase any time he hit the ring, I think everyone in the locker room knows it’s time to finally bring a little Madness back to WWE and into the Hall of Fame.